Proof: "I'm about creating jobs for people."

After moving from his inner city Detroit residence to a new nice suburban crib 20 minutes outside of downtown Detroit, Proof has had an opportunity to sit back and take into account all the things he's learned in the industry over the last few years.

With the scattered success of "Devil's Night", Proof states the next D12 album will not happen until 2003. "If you think about it, we got the new Shady album coming out in May, a tour for it from July until September, the movie ('8 Mile') coming out in September. We're all over that soundtrack. Obie Trice has an album this year as well. We're busy all the time."

Obie Trice, premiered on D12's 'Devils Night' album has his own solo joint dropping this year, "He's the spokesperson for Shady Records in the streets out here. That's his job. I like creating jobs for people."

This doesn't mean it's taken him away from his own focus, which is his solo career "The album is called 'Searching For Gerry Garcia' and I've started working on it already, it's going to come out in 2003 as well."

"The album will feature Nelly Furtado, Mike from Linkin Park, The Gorillaz, 7 Dust and of course D12." With the interesting rock/rap collabos, I had to question them "I just make music. I don't go out and say 'I'm a rapper, I have to work with other rappers, and do a strictly rap album' and basically, besides the Roc-a-Fella Camp, Dre's camp, and the Outkast camp, there's no one else I'm feeling right now."

With the collabo with Nelly Furtado it seems Proof and D12's much publicaly amped 'beef' with the pop side of the world has been dying out. "They're just people. We're just people. I'm not doing it to sell. If I was then I'd have Backstreet Boys, fucking NSYNC, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera all over my album." That's not to say the 'beef' isn't done and finished, either "There's no real reason why I don't like those people. I don't know any of them. I just don't like their music. People tell me 'Oh Elton John is a fag, you shouldn't like his music', fuck that. So what if he's a fag? There's Elton John songs I love to tears. Same with George Michael. He masturbates in public, that doesn't stop him from making great songs."

And Nelly doing a track with NSYNC? "That's just people. Some people get on with others. They could have a lot in common. I don't really know. Maybe I'd have a lot in common with them, too."

It seems the media representation of people as artists has a detrimental effect, and illusive effect of sorts. "I'm on the internet every day. And what pisses me off is I go to my own site and post something and motherfuckers say (puts on a funny nerd-like voice) 'Oh that's not you, you wouldn't be on the internet talking to us little kids'. Fuck that, I was on the internet before the album dropped, of course I'll be on it after. It's like they're driving me away from my own shit. And I can't tell them (same nerd-like voice) 'Oh it's me because my mother's name is Shirleen' because those kids wouldn't know any different."

But the price of fame works both ways "I remember I never used to like Leaders of The New School (Busta Rhyme's first rap group, assembled by Public Enemy's Chuck D), but Maurice Malone (clothing designer) bought them to Detroit - must have been about 93 or 94 - and I got to meet them. And they were so cool. They were the coolest fucking people I have ever met. It changed my whole perspective and I went out and bought all their albums right afterwards."

The inside scoop on Eminem's new album? "I'm gonna tell you some exclusive shit. no one else knows this. The album is bananas! It's crazy. Expect the same stuff Eminem has bough tin the past, just a lot more mature. If you think Eminem has spoken on every topic you can think of, he brings some new ones. The skills and the talent are even more evident on this one. The only guest spots are Obie Trice, D12 and Nate Dogg. No one else. There's also a lot more diss tracks on there. But I can't tell you who, that's a surprise."